Boundary light for airports and the like



Sept. 6, 1932.

B. R. SHAW ET AL BOUNDARY LIGHT FOR AIRPORTS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. I1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiwmww wwm.

INVENTORS A TTORNEY5.

Sept. 6, 1932. B. 'R. SHAW ET AL 1,376,082

BOUNDARY LIGHT FOR AIRPORTS AND THE LIKE Filed' Sept. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTORS A TTORNE Y5 v Patented Sept. 6, 1932 35mm, or sr. ours, ivtrssoimi, AND rnAnK aiicnANAn} or s fm'cu'sn'j new BOUNDARY LIGHT r011 amers-Annular: 14 a A Application filed September 11; 1929; Serial No. 391 ,886L F a This invention has for its object, a lamp for air ports and. other fields,wh1ch is demountable when struck as by an airplane and which can be demounted without injury and immediately be replaced without loss of time. In other words, it has for its object, a "lamp which can be knocked. over without being injured and immediately replaced- It-further has for its object a particularly 1 the base.

simple and efficient means, whereby when it is demounted, the electric feed circuit isnot broken to other lamps normally connectedin circuitwith the demounted lamp. It further has for its object, a demountable lamp structure which is particularly simple and durable in construction and highly eflicient in use.

The invention consists in the novel features I and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

' In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings inwhich of the earth base and of'the service conduits '1 like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. 1 r a Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of thislamp, thecontiguous portion being also shown.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of: the base of the lamp. Figure 3 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of this lamp.

superstructure is struck by sufficient force to overturn it, the superstructure will demount from the base. ture are alsoprovided with normally engaged when the superstruc- The base and the superstruccontacts which separate ture is demounted.

It further comprises a normally open cover which automatically closes to cover theportion of the base on which the contacts are .mounted when the superstructure is overturned. a a

the superstructure being.

I ldesignates the base whichis shown as I yonxnssienons ro CRQUSE-HINDS oomranv, or svnnousnnnw vonri, ricer.- I ro mrron or-imw YORK'j coidal in general v,forin and provided :with an outer uprlght annularface .2 havingan outwardly extending annular lip orshoul .der 3.- 'The base isalso providedwith a central chamber 4: having openings 5 for'receiving-the conduit 6 enclosing the service wires. The chamber 4 has an upwardly extending annular wall 7 extending above theface of 8'is'a block of insulation suitably supported in the chamber. .4, and having two pairs of opposing contacts 9 which engageeach;oth er when the superstructure is demounted', but

which are separatedby contacts lO-to be pres-' I ently, described, when the i superstructure is mounted onthebase.

The superstructure comprises apedestal 11, a lamp designated generally, 12-mounted on the upper end of the pedestal and devices such as wings or vanes 13projecting from the ofthe lamp. The pedestal 11 is tubular and preferably tapered fromits lower end toward its upperend and the lower margin thereof, surrounds the upright face 2 of the baseand the pedestal rests; at itslower edgeon' the flange 30f the base. The base and the pedestal are; provided with interlocking .means which will unlock when suflicient force-is ap- This lamp comprises, generally, a base perp manently mountable upon an earth, concrete,

or similarformed foundation, a delied to the superstructure to overturn .it. The locking means is; strongenough to resist .In the illustrated embodiment of-our invention, the "base is provided witha pluralpedestal beneaththe lamp, these being: colity of friction latches 14, these: being ;flat

springs secured tothe top of the base-and extending downwardly into; recesses 15 formed in the base. The latches 14'are'provided with rounding engagingends at; 16 which snapinto an internal annular groove 17 at the lower end of thepedestal. A support 18 from which issusp'ended a flexible electric cable .19 is provided in the pedestal near its upper end thereof. The cable 19 is secured in the support by awedge W. and screw S, the wedge andthe support having faces arranged to coact inclined planefashthe force of ordinary winds against the vanes.:;3

-nals previously referred to. aim '26 are-wires leading from'binding posts then peredge of the flange] ofthechamber 4 an with a skirt 22 which encircles the flange 7 and preferably, meetsat its edge the upper face 0 the base 1. It is secured to the lower end of the suspendedcable 19vby apacking 23 around the lower end of the cable and within the neck 24 ofthegbell-shaped chamber and a nut threading on the neck 24:. The packing is resilient and forms an airtightjoint around the cable 19 and prevents air from either entering or leaving'the chamber 20 at {this joint. The lower portion of the basewhere theelectric wires from the conduits '6 enter, is filledwith a suitable sealing-and insulating compound such as-pitch ;or-the'like. This prevents air from entering or leaving the chamber 4 through the conduit openings. The long skirt 22 previously're- -ferred-to-forms a-fairly close fit with the flange], but does not form an air-tight joint. With this construction, it can be readily seen '-that should water rise on the field to a level higher-thanthe top of the-flange 7, it can not enterthe chambers inasmuch as'the are filled with air and all outlets are seale 25'is asupport .of-insulation for the termi- 27 en the support 25-to thelamp terminals, not

'-shown,';the wires extending through the cable'll). a is a -normallyopen,-spring-pressed.cover for the chamber ,this cover being hin ed to the-top of the" base at 2-9 and arrange to l beheld opembythe bell-shaped chamber 20 and toswing into closed position under the --influence of thespring -30 to cover the chamber-4 when-the superstructureis demounted.

The wanes-13 project radially from a wide collar 3l' mountedon the upper end ofsthe pedestal 2,'the collar; having laterally extendinglu-gs-32=towhich the vanes are bolted. 5A

r through the walls of the collars andthe ped- 155 -portion of thecollar encircles the portion of ---curedt o the pedestal by screws S extending estaland a conical flange of the support 18 I -which 1 flange fits the 1 pedestal. This collar is also provided with a base33 for the'lamp 12.

Thelampiscovered'witha suitable globe and cage;--and-;also-may be provided with a shade carried bythecage 35. I "This damp is designed to be 'used as a 1 :boundary'li'ght forairports' and a-number of them are arranged at suitable intervals "around-theboundary cub airfield.

'=When -the superstructure is struck, as }by {the-pedestal in-which the c'able support 18 is mounte'd and the'collar and support are sean airplane, it will demount owing to the snap catches 14 and owing to the cable 19 and bell-shaped chamber 20, the terminals 10 in 7 said chamber will separate from the terminals 9,-in the {chamber 4 of -thebase and immediately upon the demounting of the superstructure, the cover 28 will close and cover ing condition on the baseaas follows: :The

superstructure or pedestal 11 is placed over the base and pushedinto position by compressing the snap springs .into engagement with the -annular. groove :17 at: theclower end of the pedestal. The hand holewcoverr36 is then lifted and the hand. inserted,rliftingl first the cover-"28 and :then inserting the .plug

housing 20 over Ithe fiange 7. of theibasenand pushing the same down thereby engaging the contacts 10 with the contacts 9. 1

' In general practice, I these .lamps :areinstalled in series, inuwhich case, there is one \WIIB running around the field venter1ng...-.at

each light through .OIleDfftllG conduits '6. connected to the termina1s -9Vand passingout through the other conduit 6. Theserlights may however be used in a multiple or parallel installation, in which case,;there .would,:be

two wires coming .into and out of-theibase.

In the case of the series installation, itwill be noted that the contacts 10 disengage from the contacts 9 before the .skirt 22 is raised beyond the flange 7. This construction causes any1.arc thatmayfbe' formedby the disengagement ofthese contacts to take place while the chambersarestill closed. This feature is desirable to prevent ignition orexplosion in'case-gasoline or. the like from th'elairplane should be nearer'the boundarylighti;

when 'thesame is struck and; tipped over; It will be further noted that immediatelyupon withdrawal of the chamber 20 .fromf' the chamber 4, that the. cover 28 closes the, opening in the chamber 4 and;thusprotects;per-i: sons and propertyfrom shock ordamageiby .In 'the case of a multiple ,installationjit will be apparent .to those skilled in. thesart, that diflerent forms. of contacts would;neces-f sarily be-used solthat upon thewithdrawalof the chamber 1 2,0 and its supported contacts,

,the contacts ontheiinsulat'edsupport 8would not come in contact, ltzwill alsobe noted that the portion of thelamp which is ole-" Lv mounted carries no. current. whatsoever and the underground wire is a not disturbed. yy

7 What we claim is: .Y c

'1. A lamp of'the, class-described comprising a base mountable upon the gra M Inn hollow demou'ntable post mounted on the base, the base having a central box portion having a wall projecting into the post, con tacts in the box portion for connection to service wires, the post having a depending cable therein for connection to the lamp, contacts at the lower end of the cable for detachably engaging the former contacts, a housing carried at the lower end of the cable and coacting with the inwardly projecting portion of the box to cover the same and enclose the contacts.

2. A lamp of the class described comprising a base mountable upon the ground, a hollow demountable post mounted on the base, the base having a central box portion having a wall projecting into the post, contacts in the box portion for connection to service wires, the post having a depending cable therein for connection to the lamp, contacts at the lower end of the cable for detachably engaging the former contacts, a housing carrier at the lower end of the cable and coacting with the inwardly projecting portion of the box to cover the same and enclose the contacts, and a cover for the box portion, the cover being carried by the base within the hollow post and normally engaging the housing and held from closing movement thereby and being movable into closed position when the post and parts carried thereby are demounted.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, this 31st day of August, 1929 and at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 28th day of August,

BENSON R. sHAw; FRANK BUCHANAN. 

